The Komenda Sugar Factory in the Central Region, which was shut down few weeks after it was opened by government, has been re-opened to commence production, barely a week to the December 7 general elections.
Some residents in the area had accused government of attempting to hoodwink them into voting for the incumbent NDC.
Government had been criticized for investing several millions of dollars to revive the factory, only to suddenly shut it down for so-called maintenance, when in reality, it lacked the raw material, sugarcane, to operate fully.
But according to the Director of Communications and Strategy at the factory, Ransford Vanni-Amoah, the plant will from next week produce some one thousand bags of sugar daily.
“Yesterday [Tuesday], we started a boiler, and we are on course so production has started. We are hoping that by Friday, we will start the crushing of sugarcane so we are hoping that by next week Tuesday; we will start seeing sugar from our plant.”
He explained that, within the first week, about 500 tonnes of sugarcane will be crushed.
“For the first week, we are going to crush 500 tonnes of sugar a day; then the second week we move to 600 tonnes; then gradually we will be going up. For the 500 tonnes a day, it means we will get 50 tonnes of sugar. The 50 tonnes will give us about 1000 50KG of sugar. So this implies that within the first week, we are going to get 1000 bags of sugar.”
Vanni-Amoah also said the facility will have about 700 staff, and close to 2000 sugarcane growers.
“Within the factory, we are having close to 700 workers, aside that when you go to the field; we have 2000 people who help us do the harvesting.”
Galamsey not affecting sugarcane supply
Ransford Vani-Amoah had earlier rejected claims that activities of illegal miners is affecting the cultivation of raw materials for the factory.
According to him, the factory has enough supply of sugarcane from different sources; apart from the immediate environs of the factory which has been destroyed by illegal miners.
“We are having farmers calling us from even Eastern Region, Asamankese and the Akyiase areas, who are all willing to supply us with sugarcane, and we are dealing with them,” he said.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin